The State of the American Traveler: 2023 Destinations Edition

map with iphone and earbuds, toy airplane, notebook and passport on top
by Jennie Wang
Marketing Coordinator

Each year Miles Partnership and Future Partners host quarterly, special edition webinars of The State of the American Traveler where we share the latest research and critical insights on U.S. leisure travelers. We started the new year off with our Destinations Edition and delved into “what’s hot and what’s not,” we looked at travelers’ bucket lists and what current factors are driving or hindering U.S. travelers’ decisions to visit certain destinations. Tim Wright, Director of Content with Odyssey Studios, stepped in to share the latest trends on creative strategies, content types and media channels to effectively reach your audience through video.

Leisure travelers are speaking up, and they’re excited! 85% of travelers say they will prioritize leisure travel above food and dining, education, home improvement and shopping. Domestic recovery is making a comeback this year, and cities have found their spot in the limelight once again. American travelers expect to take 2.9 leisure trips to cities or metropolitan areas this year with an average annual spend of $4,677. In one of the recent surveys, leisure travelers were asked to rate dozens of destinations to be the top spot for the following attributes: 

  • Food: New York 
  • Romantic Atmosphere: Miami 
  • Welcoming to "People Like Myself": Orlando
  • Meetings & Conventions: Las Vegas

While not every destination made the “what’s hot” list, the research still shows that travelers are more open than ever to being inspired into visiting unknown spots. Almost 50% of travelers these days use online video in some part of their travel planning, in fact 67% state they use video when choosing a destination. One of the greatest examples is The White Lotus effect, according to Hopper, searches for San Domenico Palace (Italy) increased by 950% during the airing of the show. 

And, while your destination doesn’t need a hot spot on prime TV, there is a wealth of opportunity in reaching your audience via multiple online video platforms and channels. YouTube is the second most visited website (after Google), with 694,000 hours of streaming each minute - that’s more than Netflix! Capture your audience's attention using visually appealing videos, give them real life experiences (think influencers) and leverage multiple platforms for higher engagement.

For the full research findings, the webinar deck and recording can be found here. Be sure to follow Future Partners and Miles Partnership for all of the latest updates and trends on The State of the American Traveler. 

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